Stapling and sealing mechanism



March 6, 1945. c. z. MONROE 2,370,745

STAPLING AND SEALING MECHANJESM Filed Nov. 20, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 6, 1945.

c. z. MONROE 2,370,745

STAPLING AND SEALING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 20, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 grime/WM 1M MIMQ'MM/ Patented Mar. 6,1945

OFF E"- STAPLING SEALING MECHANISM Charles Z. Monroe,

Detroit, ,Mich., assignor to The American Paper Bottle Company, Toledo,

7 Ohio, a corporatio up! Ohio Application November 2b, 1942, Serial No. 466,313

portion which is square in horizontal or cross a section, and a folded and sealed top or upper end closure, the container comprising a single paper sheet divided of panels, the panels being folded relatively to each other, and secured in their folded positions, in the formation of the final product, i. e., a still self-supporting container well suited for the packaging of liquids.

Preferabl final form cally operating container fabricating machine and, where the contain the packaging of liquids, it is exteriorly and interiorly coated with a leakprooflng substance such as parafiin or a paraflln-containingmaterial, prior to the introduction of the liquid. After the container is charged the several panels of its folda'ble top closure portion are folded-relatively to each other so as to form a closure having a central and transversely extending rib, such rib including a. plurality of. plies of paper. An eminently successful type of automatically operating container fabricating, charging, andv sealing mechanism heretofore employed in the production .of charged containers of the type shown in the patent referred to has included a stapling mechanism for automatically passing a staple into and through the terminal rib of each container passing. through the apparatus, and a further mechanism for applying a sealing pressure to the rib after the insertion of such a staple',- the several previously coated plies of paper being pressed tightly together and the coating material being caused to completely seal any interstices in the rib which mightotherwise remain and through which the liquid content of the container might escape.

y the folding of the container into .or horizontally August 20, 1940. In the Scott patent Just above referred to it is pointed out that, whenever the stapling operation is practiced upon the multiply rib or a container the surfaces of which have been coated with a. parafiin-like substance, it is highly advantageous to substantially raise the temperature of each staple just before by scorings into a plurality" 1 stance with which it comes is accomplished upon anrautomatior is to be employed 1;?

' tainer ribs A stapling mechanism found suitable for use.

in the name of C. Zr Monroe.

atically' operating machine is which it is to be applied, so

it is caused to penetrate the container rib to I that the' temperature of the staple as it enters and passes through the rib will be somewhat higher than the temperature at whichthe coating substance melts or becomes plastic. As a result the heated staple causes that portion of the coating subinto contact to. melt or become soft so that, at the conclusion of the stapling operation, and after the staple has cooled, the small amount of coating substance which has melted or been rendered plastic by the staple will recongeal or solidify in close as- 4 sociation with the staple, effectively sealing the holes in the paper through which the prongs of thestaple have passed and thus eliminating the possibility, which would otherwise exist, of leakage around the staple. Y

The sequence of operations heretofore employed in the stapling and final sealing of conare, in accordance with the present invention modified, and the mechanism for accomplishing the desirable results advantageously simplified. The stapling mechanism itself has been so changed in'construction that the prongs of the heated staple which actually penetrate the rib of a container to be stapled and sealed are, instead of being clinched, only partially inturned, the clinching operation being deferred.

and accomplished subsequently by the sealing mechanism, simultaneously with the sealing operation. -A superior result isobtained and likewise it is possible to more adequately heat the staple in the stapling mechanism. Thus, due to the elimination from the stapler of the staple end-clinching means it is possible to incorporate a more effective heating element and to more advantageously position this heating element with respect to the staples which successively pass through the machine, whereby these staples are successively heated with greater certainty and efilciency; The clinching operation is effectively completed by the sealing means, the sealing means such as previously utilized, and as disclosed in the Monroe patent referred to, being provided with a staple end-clinching element. reorganization or redesign of the is from the stapler of the rather complicated clinching means heretofore deemed to be essential. I

The invention may be embodied in mechanisms which vary widely in the design and arrangement of their component elements and in the accompanying drawings one form of such mechanism is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partially broken away, of the container rib stapling and sealing mechanism of an automatically operating container fabricating, chargin and sealing machine;

Figure 2 shows in side elevation, partially broken away, the stapler mechanism a container conveyor being shown in section;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-4 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 show, rather diagrammatically, those elements of the stapling and sealing mechanisms which successively act upon an inserted staple to first partially inturn its free ends and to thereafter clinch these ends; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a container of the type embodying a central rib and upon which the stapling and sealing mechanisms are adapted to successively act.

In Figure 1 of the drawings the stapling mechanism is generally indicated by the letter S, the sealing mechanism by the letter T, and the conveyor by the letter C. The means for supporting the conveyor and the stapling and sealing mechanisms is not disclosed, but it will be understood that a suitable framework is provided. In this view a series of containers are indicated in dotted lines, the container indicated by the numeral-I being supported upon the conveyor C and being shown in the position which it occupies just prior so to being positioned to be operated on by the stapler, the container in position 11 being shown actually in position to be operated on by the stapler, the container in-position 111 being shown in position to be acted upon by the sealing mechanism and the container shown in position IV having been discharged from the sealing nism.

- Certain details of the conveyor mechanism are shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveyor including an elongated stationary rail or trackway l0 upon which the bottoms of the containers rest, and three endless conveyor chains, portions of which are indicated at H, II, and I3, respectively, each chain being provided with a plurality of con-- tamer-engaging and pushing elements, three being shown in Figure2 and indicated at Ii, and 13', respectively. The conveyor functions to advance each container placed upon it in the direction of the arrow A (Figure 1), intermittently or with a step-by-step motion, and to deliver the completed, stapled and sealed containers at the end of the conveyor, or just beyond the position of that ontainer indicated at IV in Figure 1. Any suitable conveyor may be employed 4 to thus intermittently advance the containers. The container shown in position II is so located that its terminal rib, which is indicated at B, may

be penetrated by the prongs of a heated staple when the stapler mechanism is actuated.

The details of the stapler may be modified or altered widely within the import of the invention and it is only necessary here to explain that the stapler includes a staple driving element which in this case is indicated at M, a rocker or staple employed,

mechabending member indicated at II, and a stationary abutment block which is indicated at i8. When the stapler functions a suitable length oi wire is cut from an incoming length and formed substantially into the shape of a U, the free ends being directed toward the rib R, by the cooperation of the driver I4 and the rocker I, further movement of the driver causing the ends of the staple to penetrate the container rib R, these ends of the staple, after penetrating the rib, striking the inclined deflecting surfaces It or the abutment block IG' and being inturned slightly, or moved substantially to the positions in which they are shown in Figure 4.

An electrical heating element is generally indicated at H, this heating element being suitably connected to a source of electrical power and being positioned in the frame of the stapler S in the immediate vicinity of and preferably directly above the point of introduction of the wire so that it can maintain those portions of the stapler which come in contact with the wire heated to the desired and controlled temperature. By reason of the omission from the stapler illustrated of the clinching mechanism heretofore employed it is possible to more advantageously position the heating element.

After the staple has been applied and has the appearance of that which is illuctrated in Figure 4 of the drawings the container is advanced from the stapling to the sealing mechanism, the sealing mechanism being shown in Figure 3 and being preferably constructed substantially in accordance with the teachings of the 0. Z. Monroe patent above referred to. Its details, therefore, need not be herein described and. it is only necessary to say that it includes a movable horizontally sliding jaw 20 and a stationary jaw 2|, together with means generally indicated at M for advancing the jaw on its working or compression stroke, and a spring indicated at 22, for retracting the jaw at the conclusion of its working stroke. The rib R of the container is subjected to great pressure by the sealing mechanism and the intumed ends of the staple previously applied, whichstaple is indicated by the numeral 24 in the drawings; are completely clinched or moved to the positions in which they are indicated in Figures 4 and 5, the stapling and sealing operations being thus completed. It will be observed that the necessary and effectual stapling operation is thus accomplished by the cooperation of a stapler which is without a clinching mechanism, and the sealing mechanism, and that the heating means is most advantageously positioned with respect to the several instrumentalities and the wire tobeheated.

Having thus described claimed as new and desired to be secured ters Patent is:

1. In a machine for stapling and sealing the multi-ply ribs of containers which have been coated with a parailin-like coating substance, in combination, mechanism for forming a, staple and driving the prongs thereof through such a rib. means for heating the staple before it is so driven, means for engaging and deflecting without fully clenching the free ends of the staple after such ends have been driven through a container rib by said mechanism, sealing mechanism for compressing the rib and clinching the previously deflected ends of the staple, and means for presenting container ribs first to the staple forming and driving mechanism and thereafter to the sealing mechanism. a

the invention, what is by Let- 2. In a machine for stapling and sealing the multi-ply ribs of paper containers, in combination, mechanism for forming a staple and driving the prongs thereof through such a, rib, means for engaging and deflecting without fully clenching the free ends of the staple after such ends have been driven through a container rib by said mechanism, sealing mechanism for compressing the rib and clenching the previously deflected ends of the staple, and means for presenting container ribs first to the staple forming and driving mechanism and thereafter mechanism.

3. In a machine for stapling and sealing the multi-ply ribs of paper containers, in combination, mechanism for forming a staple and driving the prongs thereof through such a rib, a stationary anvil having surfaces positioned to engage and deflect without fully clenching the free to the sealing ends of the staple after such ends have been 20 driven through a container rib by said mechanism, sealing mechanism for compressing the rib and clenching the previously deflected ends of the staple, and means for presenting container rib first to the staple forming and driving mechanism and thereafter to the sealing mechanism.

4. The combination set forth in claim '3 in which the stationary anvil comprises a block having surfaces inclined to the direction of movement of the staple, each such surface being disposed to intercept and inwardly deflect without fully clenching the free ends of the staple after such ends have been driven through a container rib by said mechanism, sealing mechanism forcompressing the rib and clenching the previously deflected ends of the staple, and means for present-- ing container ribs first to the staple forming and driving mechanism and thereafter to the sealing mechanism.

CHARLES Z. MONROE. 

